File 1711/1920 'Mesopotamia: General Circulars. - 1920' [‎85v] (175/591)

Such animals are to be 'obtained 1 chiefly by setting traps’ in likely places, runs and mouse-holes'•being
specially looked for. A stock of small metal traps should be taken out by the collector, who should also lookout
foreffective nativetraps. Pitfair traps, made out of a glass or metal jar sunk in flush with the ground are also
very often successful. J
7 —Disarticulate the skull from the trunk, label it with your initials and the corresponding number to that
on the skin, and then let it dry. In a dry climate this may be done almost without any cleaning, and even in a
wet one, if the skull is dropped into some sawdust artificially dried, little cleaning need be done : at most the eyes
and brain may be taken out, the tongue being always left in to protect the palate bones. In a general way, try
and do as little to the skull as the climate will admit of; but, of course, it must not be allowed to become rotten,
Drying naturally or artificially is the best, and arsenic or other chemicals should not be put on it. A muslin
bag, containing a little dry sawdust and naphthaline, into which the skulls can be dropped, and which can be
hung up out of the reach of ants, will be found the most convenient way of drying and preserving the skulls.
8.—Pack up the skins carefully insmallboxes when they are dry, with enough wool between them to prevent
their shaking about I donot roll them up separately, in paper. .
It is a good plan to have with you an ordinary cork-lined insect box, in which the pieces of cork can be
pinned for travelling. When the skins are partly dry they can be taken off the seperate pieces of cork, and
pinned close together in the box, where they can safelytravel and dry at the same time.
The skulls when dry should be put together in a small box (not airtight') or bag, or be strung, together on a
long string or wire passing through the loops of the labels. They should never be placed loose among the packing,
ifId9.5rf.Bats should be skinned like other animals, but the limbs are separated at the shoulders and hip-joints
instead of the elbows and knees. Theyarealso pinned down in the usual way, the pins running through the
wrist-jointandthe hindfeet. The wings should not be spread out, but
should be folded up on each side of the body, in such a way as not to hide
the fur of the belly. The thumbs should be made. to point inwards or
backwards, not outwards;.' The hind (legs may be spread sufficiently to
stretch .the membrane between them, and then their breadth taken as a
guide for the folding of the wings. Some specimens of each species should
also, if possible, be preserved in spirit (not in formalin).' '
The skinning of larger animals must necessarily be somewhat different
from the above, but the labelling and make-up of skins should be as described,
except that when the combined lengths of body and tail exceed 39 inches,
the tailshould be bent roundsideways on itself, or along the side of the
body.
WANTED, generally; all small mammals,\'howelMn common—i.e^
squirrels, rats, mice; .shrews, moles, bats, weasels, stoats,! etc., etc. Domesti-
cated animals are, however, not wanted, mor are rats or mice caught in
house sin towns. Do not be afraid of sending too many of the same sort, if
carefully prepared and labelled as above described: this direction, however
would necessarily be modified in the case of specimens collected for sale.
Series of skins representing the different seasons are always of interest.
assume as natural a shape as possible,
in bats, squirrels, and other animals
' - i and if there is any discrepancy between their length and that recorded
. 6.—Re-measure the head and body,;and ere out the skin until the two correspond. • In a well-made
on the label, try and reduce it by-compressn8orore an after skinning. As the skin dries, try to get the face to
skin the measurements should besthe She ears in foxes, hares, rats and mice, may be neatly folded backwards;
" they should stand’up in an erect position.
■ , , g. hv the'sides of the tail. It is of considerable importance that
Se“tfZor^ nor shoulad curiup in drying, and that the hngeis -
toes should bp kept parallel, not spread out Sidewaym (
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